Riley Janora, 12, of Mt. Laurel is an avid basketball player.
He plays Amateur Athletic Union basketball and is excited to hit the court at the high school level in a few years.
When asked what has helped him improve his game the most, however, Janora doesn’t talk about his league team, but instead participating at the Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Day Camp.
“It’s great because you can try stuff you can’t always try for like the school team or the district team because it’s just for fun,” he said.
The Katz JCC in Cherry Hill hosted the 76ers Camp last week. The camp is a weeklong instructional series where players ages 8 to 13 honed their skills through drills, workouts and games.
Alfred Johnson, the director of the camp and head coach for Manor College’s men’s basketball team, said the JCC is an excellent location for the camp because of its location in the heart of South Jersey and the large number of courts available for use.
“We have kids coming from all over South Jersey,” Johnson said.
The basketball camp draws players from towns as far as Ocean County to neighboring communities Cherry Hill and Mt. Laurel.
The range of experience is wide as well. Johnson said some of the campers are beginners who haven’t picked up a basketball prior to camp, while others are experienced players hoping to improve their skills heading into high school.
Regardless of the experience level, the goal is the same for each camper: exit camp on Friday a better basketball player than you were on Monday.
“This camp is built upon teaching and built upon instruction,” Johnson said. “It’s not just games all days. It’s fundamentals and teaching kids to play the right way.”
Janora was attending camp for the fifth time last week. He said the experience has made him a much better player on and off the court.
“It’s such a great opportunity and it’s a lot of fun,” he said.
Janora was a repeat camper along with 11-year-old Zy’Aire Tart. The two recall meeting at camp a few years ago and they have been friends ever since.
“I was excited,” Tart said about coming to camp for the first time four years ago. “I knew I was going to make friends.”
Nicole Paulhus, 11, of Barnegat, got to experience that same excitement when she walked into her first Sixers camp last Monday. Paulhus has played basketball her entire life, but this was her first time attending a basketball camp.
“It’s given me a chance,” Paulhus said. “It’s giving me opportunities and made me feel more confident with the boys.”
One of the highlights of camp for Paulhus was meeting Sixers point guard Isaiah Canaan on Tuesday morning. Canaan visited camp to talk about his basketball experience. Paulhus said she hopes to one day play in the WNBA.
“He gave me a lot of courage because he’s taken a role that I kind of have right now that people are telling you you’re never going to make it,” she said. “But it builds you up and it makes you a better person.”
Janora, who plays AAU basketball, also has big basketball dreams. He is looking forward to playing in high school in a few years and hopes to play in college one day.
“I definitely want to keep playing,” he said “It’s a great opportunity and a lot of fun.”
